A Newsletter for UMW Faculty and Staff
Department of Music Senior Lecturer Doug Gately
Department of Music Senior Lecturer Doug Gately performed with the National Symphony Orchestra’s televised Capital Fourth Concert on July 4. This year’s star-studded lineup included The Beach Boys, The Temptations, Lauren Daigle, Josh Turner, Yolanda Adams, Trombone Shorty, LOCASH and Abi Carter. Tenor sax solos by Doug Gately. The Concert on PBS can be viewed at A Capitol Fourth | A Capitol Fourth (2025) | Season 2025 | Episode 1 | PBS
Professor of Political Science and International Affairs and Director of the Center for Leadership and Media Studies Stephen Farnsworth
Professor of Political Science and International Affairs and Director of the Center for Leadership and Media Studies Stephen Farnsworth was quoted in a TRT World article titled “Elon Musk backs Conservative rebels, blasts GOP, teases a new party: What is the billionaire up to?” In the article, Farnsworth provided analysis on the political dynamics between Trump and Musk, noting that “In any competition between Trump and Musk, some form of compromise seems the most likely eventual outcome.” Read the article.
Professor Emerita of Political Science and International Affairs Elizabeth Larus
Professor Emerita of Political Science and International Affairs Elizabeth Freund Larus was quoted by BBC News in an article titled “Will the spillover effect of the US surprise attack on Iran cover North Korea and the Taiwan Strait? Asia-Pacific region hotly discusses Trump’s muscle flexing.” In the article, Larus, who serves as an Adjunct Senior Fellow at Pacific Forum, provided expert analysis on regional geopolitical implications, noting that if the U.S. mission against Iran’s nuclear weapons is ultimately successful, Beijing will grudgingly realize again that the United States is not a “wounded hegemon.” Read the article.
Fiscal year end is approaching! That means fiscal year end processing and system downtime. Please note the following dates and details:
All systems are expected to be back up and online by noon Tuesday, July 1. For additional information on deadlines, refer to the End of Year Calendar.
Finance will make every effort to have the systems restored as quickly as possible. We appreciate everyone’s cooperation and patience.
Please contact Training, Compliance and System Support at tcss@umw.edu with questions.
Professor of Political Science and International Affairs Surupta Gupta
Professor of Political Science and International Affairs Surupta Gupta was quoted in a article titled “Will a proposed US law become a ‘bunker-buster’ for the global economy?” for TRT Global. In the article, Gupta provided analysis on the international implications of proposed US legislations. An excerpt from the article reads, “These countries will face pressure to negotiate deals with the US or find alternative partners,” Professor Surupa Gupta of the University of Mary Washington, Virginia, tells TRT World. Read the article.
Associate Professor of Linguistics Paul Fallon
Associate Professor of Linguistics Paul D. Fallon gave a virtual presentation at the 56th Annual Conference on African Linguistics (ACAL), held online and at the University of Minnesota–Twin Cities, Minneapolis, on May 6, 2025. His talk was entitled “‘Fire’, ‘nose’, ‘water’, mouth’: Comparing the Leipzig-Jakarta and Swadesh lists in Central Cushitic.” He shared the results of his investigations comparing lexical borrowing using two vocabulary lists in two different time depths for Central Cushitic languages (spoken in the Horn of Africa).
In addition, Fallon has been appointed as one of two Reviews Editors for Dictionaries: Journal of the Dictionary Society of North America. The first issue under his editorship appeared in mid-June 2025.
Associate Professor of Religious Studies Jennifer Barry
Associate Professor of Religious Studies Jennifer Barry was recently elected Associate Editor for the Journal of Early Christian Studies (JECS). This prestigious appointment reflects Barry’s national reputation in the field of Late Antiquity and early Christian historiography. The JECS is a leading peer-reviewed publication dedicated to the study of Christianity in the ancient world. In her new role, Barry will help shape the direction of cutting-edge scholarship in the field, bringing her expertise in gender, rhetoric and historical memory to one of the discipline’s most influential journals.
Professor of Middle East History Nabil Al-Tikriti
Professor of Middle East History Nabil Al-Tikriti discussed the current situation in the Middle East this month, covering economic, military, political and diplomatic affairs. He made this presentation to Ft. Belvoir’s Supply Corps Reserve Unit supporting the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA), with reserve unit attendees present from the U.S. Army, Navy and Marines. The presentation included broad ranging discussions of conflicts, tensions, historical backgrounds and theatre realities for the Indo-Pakistan conflict, Yemen, Iran, Iraq, the Caucasus, Turkey, the Gulf States, Syria and Israel-Palestine. In the course of this discussion, Al-Tikriti shared his analysis of the long-term effects of the Gaza Genocide, Ukraine war and China’s construction of a parallel global economy.
It is with great sadness that we share the passing of Amanda Rutstein, a 2007 UMW alumna who managed the academic department offices in Monroe Hall.
Amanda received her bachelor’s degree in English from UMW, earning a fellowship toward her MFA in Creative Writing Poetry from the University of North Carolina, Greensboro. A talented writer, she has been a featured guest for Women in Higher Education. Before joining the academic departments in Monroe Hall, she worked in the HCC and previously served as an adjunct instructor for the Department of English and Linguistics, where she taught many sections of Intro to Creative Writing and ENGL 202: Writing about Empathy.
She has been a mentor to many students and returned to work at UMW as a tutor, further supporting students in their academic endeavors through the Writing Center and Division of Teaching and Learning Technologies. The campus community was like family, with many close friends and regular traditions, including bringing her son to the Multicultural Fair every year. Her colleagues and closest friends note that she is extremely funny, honest, ridiculously generous in every way, practical and strong.
Our sympathies and support go to her family, as well as members of our campus community who worked closely with her, from her time in the classroom to her time at the front of the classroom. As a longtime member of our community, her work and words have reached many, and we know that many will grieve the loss.
Any employee in need of additional support can access the Employee Assistance Program, which is available at no cost with state employee health insurance plans, with more information on the Human Resources website. Employees can also reach out to Human Resources for additional support by contacting Executive Director of Human Resources Beth Williams at bwilli22@umw.edu.
Students seeking support this summer can also access on-demand, free mental health services any time via TimelyCare, online or via the app. Go to timelycare.com/umw or download the TimelyCare app to access care via Apple App Store or Google Play Store. TimelyCare’s TalkNow is available 24 hours a day. Visit the Talley Center website for more information and additional resources.
TimelyCare uses single sign-on so you’ll access it with your UMW NetID – just using umw.edu at the end (mail.umw.edu will not work). Please note that you’ll complete an information form on your first visit to the site.
Service information is not yet available, and we’ll update our campus community with ways to gather and remember Amanda as the family shares more information.
Jeff McClurken
Chief of Staff
Professor of Religious Studies Mary Beth Mathews
Professor of Religious Studies Mary Beth Mathews has been featured across multiple media outlets recently, sharing her expertise on religious topics. In May, she was part of a panel discussion on Black religious life hosted by Fairfax County NAACP (the panel starts around minute 54 of the linked video). Earlier this month, she was interviewed for an article in an Italian magazine “PrisMag” about the prospect of the first American pope.